Why Singapore Is a Perfect Destination for Families With Kids

People have long imagined a utopia. A place that’s clean, green, and safe. A place where people of every color, culture, and religion live in harmony. It may sound like an impossibility, but after a week in Singapore, I’m not so sure. 

In Singapore, public cleanliness is paramount — spitting and chewing gum are illegal. And the City in Nature lives up to its name, with trees and gardens covering almost 50 percent of the small island. In 2024, it was rated the second safest city in the world after Tokyo.

The vast majority of Singaporeans live in affordable public housing that’s subsidized by the government, and the food scene revolves around hawker centers, or food courts with cheap eats and community seating that’s so ingrained in the culture, it’s recognized and protected by UNESCO.

“It’s said at least one meal a day in a Singaporean’s life is consumed in a hawker center,” my guide, Anthony Ang, told me on our first day in Singapore. “It’s considered our social dining room. People of all walks of life, all classes, can be found sitting together. It’s free seating and it features the food of our ancestors.”

The ancestors he refers to are primarily Chinese, Malay, or Indian. There are four official languages spoken — and most Singpaoreans are bilingual or even trilingual — but English is the de facto dialect. Singapore is a land of many religions, but everyone seems to go about their business. On a single street, you’ll see a Buddhist temple, a mosque, and a church. “The government’s credo is equality for all,” Ang added.

This modern-day utopia is well-known by business travelers and foodies, but I wasn’t in Singapore for the food. And I definitely wasn’t there to do business. I was curious if the city, country, and island (it’s all three) had a place for the world’s youngest citizens — namely my 3-year-old.

I spent a week exploring the city to find out.

Where to Stay

Capella Singapore

For families seeking space and privacy, there’s no better place than Capella Singapore, which has some of the city’s most spacious accommodations and feels as though it was dropped in the middle of a rain forest. At Capella, voted the No. 1 best hotel in Singapore by Travel + Leisure readers in 2024, wild peacocks roam the grounds and the beach is just down the hill. During our visit, we stayed in a private villa, which had a private outdoor terrace and pool.

Marina Bay Sands Singapore

Marina Bay Sands is one of Singapore’s most iconic landmarks. It looks like a giant cruise ship is sitting atop three towers here, but it’s actually the world’s largest rooftop infinity pool at almost 500 feet long (that’s three Olympic-sized swimming pools). The five-star property has 57 floors, providing guests with bird’s-eye views over the city or the neighboring public gardens. It’s also home to Singapore’s largest nightclub, luxury shopping, and an observation deck.

Raffles Singapore

Raffles Singapore won’t catch your eye like the Capella or Marina Bay Sands, but it has a history the first two can’t replicate. The property opened in 1887 and was an immediate magnet for royalty, literary greats, actors, and dignitaries. Staying at the Raffles continues to be a rite of passage for travelers looking for old-world glamor and elegance. The hotel’s 115 suites all feature colonial architecture, original 14-foot ceilings, and teakwood floors. Each guest is also treated to the discretion and availability of Raffles’ renowned butler service. 

Best Things to Do

Gardens by the Bay

Gardens by the Bay is unlike any garden I’ve ever visited. Walking through the Supertree Grove sets the tone (and should be explored at night when it’s animated by music and light), but the main destination for us was the Cloud Forest, a lush, human-made mountain covered in plants and featuring the world’s second tallest indoor waterfall. The whole forest is set under a dome facing the bay.

Next door lies the Flower Dome, filled with unusual plants and trees from various habitats. The garden surrounds a sprawling flower field where themed displays come and go. Gardens by the Bay is also home to a handful of lesser-known gardens that are free and open to the public, including the Far East Organization Children’s Garden, which has a splash pad with water play features.

Singapore Zoo 

The Singapore Zoo was the family favorite during our trip. It’s known for its open-concept exhibits, which recreate the natural habitat for the animals and make it easier for visitors to actually see the animals. We saw elephants, tigers, and orangutans, and even got to feed a giraffe and touch a giant tortoise (the zoo’s oldest resident). I recommend booking the zoo’s Breakfast in the Wild experience, which includes visits from penguins, orangutans, and iguanas.

Katong-Joo Chiat District

I’m a big believer in making sure a family trip doesn’t only revolve around the kids, so I wanted to make sure to include the Katong-Joo Chiat district our list of to-dos. Exploring the neighborhood, which is the center of Peranakan culture, was a highlight for me, especially since I had the honor of visiting with someone who is Peranakan Chinese (a native-born person of mixed Chinese and Malay ancestry).

“Peranakan culture is more of a lifestyle culture. Our ancestors are all immigrants,” said Raymond Wong, a Peranakan designer known for his kebaya making and beadwork. “Our mindset of accepting new ideas is really very open.”

Wong’s workspace sits above his family’s long-standing business, Kim Choo Kueh Chang. The shop, known for its nonya kueh (mochi-textured cakes) and savory dumplings wrapped in banana leaves, has been in operation since the 1940s and is not to be missed.

Sentosa Island

Sentosa, an island just 10 minutes south of central Singapore by car, is a beachy enclave with enough activities to occupy you (and your kids) for days. It’s connected to mainland Singapore by road, cable car, monorail, and boardwalk, making it easy (and exciting) to visit.

We walked Palawan Beach before spending the morning at Splash Tribe, a beach club with slides, lounge chairs, and an infinity pool overlooking the ocean. (Mini golf, a floating obstacle course, and a food truck court are nearby.) In the afternoon, we visited KidZania, a child-sized city where my daughter — quite seriously — pretended to work toward her pilot’s license.

The offerings on Sentosa go on and on and include dolphin encounters, a skywalk, zip lines, an aquarium, and Universal Studios.

Best Places to Eat

Candlenut

Candlenut, the world’s first Michelin-starred Peranakan restaurant, is a can’t-miss. The eatery was casual enough to make the parents of a toddler (and the toddler herself) feel comfortable, while the cuisine was still refined. My favorite dish was a pandan and coconut custard mochi cake served with coconut sorbet.

Chinatown Complex Market & Food Centre

There are well over 100 hawker centers in Singapore and an estimated 13,430 licensed hawker stalls, so it’s tough to recommend just one center, let alone one stall. Maxwell Food Centre is likely the most famous, thanks to Anthony Bourdain’s love of Tian Tian Hainanese Chicken Rice, but I recommend trying Pu Xiang Vegetarian in the Chinatown Complex, which has been run by a sweet lady named Loh for 25 years. 

Follow your meal of rice or fried noodles topped with veggies and tofu with a mochi-ball soup from Ah Balling Peanut Soup.

Open Farm Community

An establishment like Open Farm Community, which is set on the edge of an urban garden and uses local ingredients, may feel like the norm in some places, but in a space-constrained city like Singapore, it’s a true gem.

A kids play structure out front sets the tone of casual and carefree. You can book a farm tour or simply sit back in the sunny “glasshouse” restaurant and enjoy the garden-like ambience. I recommend the fried okra, which is grown on site.  

Best Time to Visit

Singapore is a year-round destination. The city/island/country is just slightly north of the equator, meaning it’s always warm and typically humid.

The hottest months are June and July, while it tends to be rainier in December and January. If you want sunny days and lower humidity, visit between February and April, which tend to be Singapore’s dry season.

Visiting Singapore may be more expensive during big events, like the Formula 1 Singapore Grand Prix, or over Chinese New Year.

How to Get Around

The Mass Rapid Transit system, known locally as the MRT, is the easiest and most affordable way to get around Singapore. The network of trains is known for being fast, safe, and efficient. It’s supplemented by a bus service and together they connect the entire country, including routes to the Singapore Changi Airport and Sentosa Island. 

Taxis are readily available in Singapore, but can be expensive. For an Uber-like car service, download Grab or Gojek.

How to Get There

Getting to Singapore is the biggest barrier for most people with kids. The flight is long and typically overnight. On our way there, we flew at night and my daughter slept around eigh consecutive hours, which made the journey fly by.

We flew in and out of San Francisco, with a connection to our home in Colorado. There are currently five direct flights to Singapore from the U.S.: San Francisco, Seattle, Los Angeles, New York City (JFK), and Newark.